Faulconbridge Point Lookout offers one of the best views in all the Blue Mountains. With steep densely forested mountains on either side of the Grose River, it has a captivating wild feel that will leave you spellbound. Sunset is the perfect time to visit as you’re almost guaranteed to get it to yourself and the soft light adds a magic touch to the already beautiful scene.
If you’re up for an adventure, we’d recommend first heading down to the spectacular Grose River for a swim in its crystal clear water before finishing at the lookout. The track down to the river is more challenging and has a couple of exciting sections in the form of a rope down climb and a ladder!
The combination of the swimming hole and lookout makes for one of the best adventures in the lower Blue Mountains, it’s a long walk, but it’s worth it!
The walk to Faulconbridge Point Lookout and the Grose River
The stats
Distance: 13.2km return to the lookout only; 15.5km return to the river only, or 17.7km for both spots
Elevation gain: 220m to the lookout, or 580m to the river
Difficulty: Easy for the lookout; moderate to hard for the lookout and river combined
Summary: The walk to Faulconbridge Point is all on a wide and smooth fire trail which has some gentle undulations, but is predominantly flat. The good track conditions mean you can walk back in the dark if you choose to visit for sunset.
Getting to the Grose River swimming hole involves walking all but the final kilometre to the viewpoint (so you should definitely do both) and then taking a more challenging bush track.
The path is always easy to follow, but it does have some short, but steep sections, which can be slippery due to loose soil and leaf litter. The final descent to the river involves a bit of rocky terrain and one down climb aided by fixed ropes and a ladder.
The Faulconbridge Point Lookout trail
From the parking area beside the locked gate (details below) you’ll head onto the fire trail and this will take you all the way to the lookout. It is quite a long walk and the scenery does not change much, so you can choose to cycle this section to speed it up.
Though there are some small ups and downs along the way, the walk is quick and easy (we reached the turn off for the river in just over an hour).
The path is smooth with a couple of tiny sandy bits to watch out for on a bike, but overall it’s smooth sailing for hikers and cyclists.
There are gum trees lining either side of the path, but not enough to provide complete shade, so on a hot sunny day you will feel it a bit!
You’ll reach what feels like a turning circle after 6.5km and the last 100m to the viewpoint are off the fire trail and onto a narrow sandy path. We’ll cover what to expect from the lookout underneath the section on walking down to the river.
If you are turning off to head down to the Grose River, you will see the obvious but un-signposted path 5.5km into the fire trail, on the right side of the track.
The lookout is 1.1km after the turnoff for the river, but we’d recommend heading there after your swim to allow maximum time down by the water - because trust me it’s a hard spot to leave!
Off the fire trail and down to the Grose River
The track down to the river begins 5.5km into the fire trail and you’ll see the wide, but un-signposted path on the right. From here the track conditions change, as does the scenery.
It gets much bushier and more beautiful as you descend towards the river and there’s also plenty of shade.
The first couple of hundred metres are downhill, but relatively gentle and the path is in good condition. There’s even a few stone steps along the way. However, you’ll soon reach a steeper section of track, with some leaf litter that requires a bit more care.
From here you will reach gentler sections, followed by further steeper bits, a couple of which have loose soil.
The fact you do have some gentler bits gives you a bit of a break if you find steep descents taxing. For the most part, the trail is in reasonably good condition, especially if you are comfortable walking on leaf litter etc.
Descending into the rainforest
Roughly 1.2km from when you turned off the fire trail, you’ll reach a short but beautiful flat section of track, which takes you through some thick ferns. '
The trees in this area had fantastic jungle vibes and the sound of the Bellbirds offered a relaxing soundtrack to the walk.
Around 100m later you have another steep section, but it’s short and becomes less steep as you head into a rainforest gully. The gully was pretty dry for us, but I can imagine it would come to life after rain.
After entering the rainforest gully there is one 10m section of track that is very steep and I thought it would be very slippery, luckily it wasn’t as bad as it looked and there were plenty of trees to grab if needed.
The track then all but flattens for a whopping 450m, which was a surprise and I very much appreciated the break in the descent.
The track conditions are good and though there are a couple of fallen trees here and there (throughout the track), none are difficult to climb under or over.
Approximately 2.1km into the side track you’ll get your first glimpse of the Grose River, and somewhat dishearteningly it still looks a long way down! For better or worse you’ll cover this big descent in a very short distance…..
Reaching the river: the ropes and the ladder
Yep, that’s right, that river that you see way down there in the distance is actually just 250m away! The steepest part of the whole track is this final part of the descent.
You’ll have a 50m rocky section to tackle first, but it’s not too bad and the rocks are grippy when dry. It’s steep, but it’s not really a scramble.
You will then come to the rope down climb. Now I am going to be completely honest here, I saw the drop we had to get down and I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it.
I’m the first to admit I am not a good scrambler and I lack confidence when trying to do things like this. The drop has a small ledge partway down and then a foothold close to the bottom. There are also two fixed ropes.
The ledge you need to get down onto requires dropping down a bit while holding the ropes - you can’t reach a leg down to it whilst still sitting on top. It was the gap before reaching the ledge which made me uncomfortable.
However, it was actually easier than it looked - I am sure most people wouldn’t think much of it - but if you are like me, then know it really is easier than it looks. Once you’ve lowered yourself onto the ledge the next bit is easy. The foothold is good and you’re not much off the ground at this point.
I was also worried getting back up this bit would be hard, but I found it much easier. There’s a little nobble on the right which you can use as an extra foothold going up and it feels secure and means you don’t really need to do a big leg stretch. I was surprised how easy it felt after being so nervous about getting down it!
You’re now 100m away from the ladder. For the next bit of the descent you can either climb down the rock slab or head right along the ledge and then take a tiered ledge down, which was my preferred route and easy.
There’s a little bit more rocky terrain and then you’ll arrive at the ladder. There’s also a fixed rope here and footholds carved into the rock, so you could pick either option. The ladder is sturdy and fixed to the wall and made for an easy descent.
The last 100m to the river are a mix of dirt track and some rocky terrain, with a couple of larger rocks to climb over at the end to access the water. This section is all straightforward and you’ll reach the river 2.3km from the turn off, or just over 7.7km into the walk.
The Grose River swimming hole
I’ve well and truly fallen in love with the Grose River and we’ve been working our way around lots of different access points. This is one of the longer and more challenging routes we’ve taken to reach it, but the reward is a pristine swimming hole which you will likely get all to yourself. It’s so spectacular and has the most fabulous remote feel.
The water is crystal clear, I could see all the way to the bottom at all times despite the fact it was very deep. The surrounding mountains and forest, as well as the huge boulders made me feel like I’d just landed in my own private patch of pristine wilderness.
From inside the water I could look back at Joe laying out on a boulder and there was no evidence of a walking track, all I could see were the trees and rocks which rose steeply behind him, it looked completely impenetrable.
It’s magnificent, and a wonderful place to laze around, with the large flat boulders offering a smooth surface to bask on inbetween dips.
In terms of swimming, accessing the water is easy. There are some large rock slabs in the shallow water, which are muddy, but easy to walk on and then you can swim off the second tier straight into deep water.
We visited during a long dry spell and there was one set of rocks on the right of the pool which you would bump into if you tried to swim over them, but as the water was crystal clear I could spot them and easily avoid it. I think in wetter times this probably wouldn’t be an issue.
The rest of the giant pool was clear of rocks and debris and you could swim far and wide. The water looked sensational from within the pool - better than from above - with a glorious emerald hue. I love the way this river looks so different depending on where you access it, we’d been to the Vale of Avoca a couple of weeks before and you’d never think it was the same river!
Leave lots of time to soak up this spot because it really is special. When you’re ready to leave you head back up the trail the way you came. It does feel steep, quite relentlessly so, but on the way up all the footing felt easy. I always prefer a steep ascent to a steep descent!
When you get back to the fire trail do not miss the lookout! It’s only 1.1km further on and the path is almost entirely flat.
The Faulconbridge Point Lookout
Faulconbridge Point is a large multi-tiered lookout and as there is no fencing, it feels wonderfully wild and untouched. The view is jaw-dropping from every angle. It was far more beautiful than I was expecting. The steep forested mountains look pristine - happily there’s no scarring from bushfires.
Despite the fact the river looks far away you can still hear the cascades, so the sound of the water combined with the birdlife makes for the most serene spot to while away some time.
I have heard people say that the walk is quite far just for a view (assuming you don’t also head down to the river) but I think it is more than worth it. However, I would recommend making it special, if you’re coming in the daytime, bring a picnic and really soak it all in, or come at sunset and enjoy the view during golden hour. Just make sure you pack anything you bring in out with you and keep this place pristine.
Although we were delighted to get the viewpoint to ourselves (on Easter Monday no less!) if other people are there you can spread out, as there are multiple tiers to the lookout and the rock is grippy - though obviously take care around any edges. That drop is as sheer as it gets!
For me, at sunset, the view was one of the most spectacular in the Blue Mountains and it capped off a day to remember. Walking back in the dark was easy, the stars were incredible and the wide fire trail makes for a leisurely hike back. Most of the track is flat or downhill on the return, with just a handful of tiny uphill sections.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the national park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Where to park for Faulconbridge Point
The trail begins from a locked gate on the Faulconbridge Ridge Fire Trail (exact parking place linked) in Faulconbridge in the lower Blue Mountains. The last 350m of the road are unsealed, but in great condition and suitable for any car at time of writing. There is no car park as such, but room at several lay-bys for cars to park fully off the road, please never block the fire trail.
The trail is 17km and a 20 minute drive from Glenbrook and 78km and a 1 hour drive from Sydney CBD.
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